Joseph W. Ashy - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

General Joseph William Ashy, USAF (born October 16, 1940) was commander in chief of North American Aerospace Defense Command

North American Aerospace Defense Command

North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...

and United States Space Command

United States Space Command

The United States Space Command was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense, created in 1985 to help institutionalize the use of outer space by the United States Armed Forces. The Commander in Chief of U.S...

, and commander of Air Force Space Command

Air Force Space Command

Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....

, headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base

Peterson Air Force Base

Peterson Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located at Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States and it provides runways for the adjacent City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport under a shared joint civil-military airport arrangement...

, Colorado. As commander of NORAD, General Ashy was responsible for the air sovereignty of the United States and Canada, as well as for providing tactical warning and attack assessment. As USCINCSPACE, he commanded the unified command responsible for directing space control and support operations including theater missile defense. As COMAFSPC, he directed satellite control, warning, space launch and ballistic missile operations missions through a worldwide network of support facilities and bases.

Ashy entered the Air Force in 1962 as a distinguished graduate of Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

. He has commanded two fighter wings, the U.S. Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...

, Nevada; and Air Training Command

Air Training Command

Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...

. He also commanded NATO's Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and 16th Air Force. As the air component commander to CINCSOUTH, he commanded NATO air forces in the Mediterranean area and directed the air operation over Bosnia. He was a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours in fighter and attack aircraft, including 289 combat missions in Vietnam.

He holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from Auburn University. He retired on October 1, 1996.

Education

1962 Bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering, Texas A&M University
1979 Master's degree in public administration, Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...

, Alabama
1979 Air War College
Air War College
The Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...

, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
1987 National Security Programs, John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...

, Harvard University

Assignments

September 1962 - October 1963, student, pilot training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
November 1963 - July 1964, student, F-100 combat crew training, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
August 1964 - August 1967, F-100 fighter pilot, 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath, is a Royal Air Force military airbase near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. Although an RAF station, it hosts United States Air Force units and personnel...

, England
August 1967 - August 1968, F-100 fighter pilot, 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron, and later, weapons and tactics officer, 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about 20 miles from Saigon near the city of Bien Hoa within Dong Nai Province....

, South Vietnam
September 1968 - August 1969, Air Staff training program, plans and operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
September 1969 - June 1971, F-100 instructor pilot, 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
The 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force fighter squadron. Its last assignment was with the 405th Tactical Training Wing, being inactivated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, on 19 November 1990....

; then A-7 instructor pilot, 310th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
June 1971 - April 1972, A-7 instructor pilot, 333d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona
April 1972 - June 1975, action officer, then chief, fighter assignments section, Air Force Military Personnel Center, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
July 1975 - July 1976, operations officer, 36th Tactical Fighter Squadron, (F-4s), Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base , is a United States Air Force facility located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant...

, South Korea
August 1976 - August 1978, commander, 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron (F-4s); then assistant deputy commander for operations, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah
August 1978 - June 1979, student, Air War College
Air War College
The Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...

, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
July 1979 - August 1982, division chief, plans and operations, then executive officer to the Air Force chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
August 1982 - May 1984, commander, 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, George Air Force Base, California
May 1984 - February 1986, commander, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
February 1986 - June 1988, director, Joint Control Group, U.S. Atlantic Command Exercise Ocean Venture '86; then inspector general, chief of staff; deputy chief of staff, plans; Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
June 1988 - July 1989, commander, U.S. Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
July 1989 - June 1990, deputy chief of staff, operations; then vice commander, Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
June 1990 - December 1992, commander, Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
December 1992 - February 1994, commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and deputy commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe for the Southern Area
February 1994 - September 1994, commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and commander, 16th Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe
September 1994 - 1996, commander in chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Space Command, and commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado

Flight information

Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,500
Aircraft flown: F-100, A-7, F-4, F-5, F-16

Major awards and decorations

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States...
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal was created by an act of the United States Congress on July 6, 1960. The medal was intended as a new decoration of the United States Air Force to replace the policy of awarding the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Air Force personnel.The Air Force...
Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

with oak leaf cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...

with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense...
Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...

with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...

with 13 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm